ISP and Jersey Flegg Cup teams for first round

Author: Richard Becht & www.photosport.nz
Timestamp: Tue 6 Mar 2018, 04:25 PM

Scotland international James Bell will captain a Vodafone Warriors side showing several new faces plus new signings Karl Lawton and Matiu Love-Henry for Saturday’s first-round Intrust Super Premiership match against North Sydney at Mount Smart Stadium (1.00pm kick-off).

Bell has support from a group of players who took the Vodafone Warriors within a win of the ISP grand final last year – wing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, props Chris Satae and Patrick Sipley, hooker Manaia Cherrington and fullback Zac Santo (the latter named on the interchange).

Lawton, signed from the Gold Coast Titans just last week, will have his first outing for the club at hooker.

Named at fullback for his first ISP game is 18-year-old fullback Hayze Perham, who had such an impressive second half in the club’s NRL trial against Melbourne in Rotorua.

Back in a Vodafone Warriors jersey is second rower Love-Henry, a former NYC player at the club who has returned to Auckland after a stint in Brisbane.

Also included are regular 2017 NYC playersr, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Lewis Soosemea and Joseph Vuna; Soosemea and Vuna had a brief taste of ISP football last year.

In the early game on Saturday, the Vodafone Junior Warriors will line up in the new look New South Wales Jersey Flegg Cup under-20 competition, created to replace the NYC.